The present invention relates to a plasma display panel arranged with an auxiliary electrode, and more particularly, to a plasma display panel which is arranged with auxiliary electrodes within respective barrier ribs and which reduces the sputtering effect damage to the cathode electrode by deflecting positive ions within a cell of the display panel according to step pulses applied to the auxiliary electrodes, so that the structure for producing priming particles is improved without the spatial requirements of conventional special priming devices.
In general, the plasma display panel (hereinafter PDP) is a display element in which inert gas is introduced and sealed between two glass substrates formed with respective electrodes and utilizing the gas discharge produced by voltages applied to both electrodes.
Japanese Laid Open Patent Publication No. Sho-53-25474 is related to a discharge type displaying panel, which is structured such that two glass substrates are supported with a predetermined distance or gap therebetween and are sealed together air tight by a frit seal. The panel includes a first electrode array consisting of a plurality of parallel cathode electrode bands extending in one direction and formed on the interior surface of one of the substrates. A second electrode array consisting of a plurality of parallel electrodes extending in a direction which crosses the extending direction of said first electrode array is formed on the interior surface of the other substrate, and a gas is introduced into the sealed gap between both substrates.
In the display panel having this structure, a predetermined negative voltage required for discharge is applied in sequential time sharing to the electrodes of the first electrode array, and a potential corresponding to the display signal is applied sequentially or simultaneously to the electrodes of the second electrode array. A luminous discharge occurs at crossing points of the first and second electrode arrays in spot sequential or in line sequential. The luminant display is a visual picture of a pattern corresponding to the display signal. In this case, the glow extends along the cathode having negative potential due to the diffusion of ionized electrons, and there has been a disadvantage in that this cross talk occurs.
This conventional PDP structure is shown in FIG. 1. The cathode array 4 is formed on the surface of the rear glass substrate 5, anode array 2 includes transparent conductive film electrodes which are formed on the surface of the front glass substrate 1 with a predetermined distance therebetween. The two glass substrates 1, 5 are opposed to one another, and barrier ribs 3 are formed between the cathode electrodes 4.
In this PDP structure, the auxiliary electrodes 6 are set within the cell so that priming particles are produced thereby and an auxiliary discharge occurs in the cell before starting the main discharge. There has been a disadvantage in that the structure within the cell space is complicated owing to the double structure of the cell space, i.e., the structure of the priming auxiliary electrode 6 in addition to the anode 2 of the cell.
Further, since the PDP structure is DC type, there is no operation to define the positive ions produced upon the main gas discharge. Accordingly, the cathode 4 is damaged due to the sputtering effect produced by these positive ions, and therefore, there has been a disadvantage in that the operable life of the panel is shortened.
In conventional PDP structure (FIG. 1), an auxiliary electrode 6 is separately provided within each cell in order to produce the priming particles and auxiliary discharge before the main gas discharge pulse occurs. Ionized particles produced from the auxiliary electrodes are used as priming particles.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a plasma display panel arranged with auxiliary electrodes for simplifying the PDP structure according to the location of the auxiliary electrodes and for, at the same time, defining the positive ions produced during the main gas discharge and preventing damage to the electrode.
In order to accomplish these objects, the present invention is characterized in that the auxiliary electrodes for positive ion control and priming particle generation are arranged within the interior of the barrier ribs.